1 66 LEPORID^ 



duction some time during the historical period. The Irish Hare 

 is indigenous and peculiar to Ireland, and the Brown and Scottish 

 Hares are found as sub-species closely allied to, but just dis- 

 tinguishable from, those of continental Europe. The abundance 

 of all four depends largely on the treatment meted out to them 

 by man. In many localities their numbers have undergone a 

 considerable decrease. As against this, it is undoubtedly true 

 that the Brown Hare shows a tendency to extension of range 

 and increase of numbers in the wilder parts of Scotland, while 

 the Scottish Hare, helped to a large extent by introduction, 

 has spread southwards, and now thrives and multiplies on 

 many mountains lying far to the south of its natural range. 

 Irish hares have been freely introduced into Britain, and Brown 

 and Blue into Ireland, and there are now localities where all 

 three may be found on the same ground. Where not killed 

 off by man, the numbers of hares and rabbits may become so 

 great as to result in much inconvenience and loss to property. 



Food: — These animals are about as purely vegetarian as 

 any known mammals ; the only exception known to me being 

 that of rabbits eating snails. But their range of diet is, within 

 its own limits, comparatively wide, and embraces all the 

 digestible parts of plants, from the bark of young trees to 

 roots, grain, berries, and tubers. 



They do not chew the cud, as supposed by the ancient 

 Hebrews, but, according to Drane, have the remarkable habit 

 of passing most of their food twice through the body (see 

 below, under Brown Hare). This observation is attributed by 

 Bingley (p. 314) to Cartwright also {Journal on the Coast of 

 Labrador, 1792) for tame rabbits, but the latter work is without 

 an index, and I have been unable to find the reference. 



They drink seldom, but this is no doubt because their food 

 is frequently so wet that they must take in with it compara- 

 tively large quantities of water. 



Droppings :— These are dry and of a characteristic round 

 form, resembling somewhat those of goats and sheep, but 

 differing in their size and in the, at all times, complete individu- 

 ality of each pellet. When fresh they are sticky and dark in 

 colour, but soon become lighter and drier, and show the nature 

 of their contents, namely, the indigestible portions of herbage. 



